Eastern Cape provincial traffic cops at the Mdantsane homestead of five family members who died in an accident on the N6 near East London on Sunday.

• Nombulelo Mgojo, her son Mvuzo, his partner Zisiwe Msongelwa, and Mvuzo’s children, Lelothando and Olwamuthando, all died when their car collided with a Zimbabwe-bound bus near East London.
• The family was returning from Stutterheim where grandmother Nombulelo had been preparing for another family member’s funeral when the Sunday night accident happened.
• Transport MEC Xolile Nqatha says speeding and a possible tyre burst are being investigated as causes of the accident that also left passengers on the bus injured.

One of five family members who died in a horrific accident between a hatchback and a Zimbabwe-bound bus near East London had been preparing for a family member’s funeral when she lost her life.

The family was travelling on the N6 from Stutterheim to East London when the accident occurred on Sunday night.

According to authorities, the bus was carrying about 60 passengers and had just left East London, bound for Zimbabwe, when the collision happened.

The VW Polo Vivo had five occupants: Nombulelo Mgojo, 60, her son Mvuzo, 30, his partner Zisiwe Msongelwa, 35, and Mvuzo’s children, Lelothando, 11, and Olwamuthando, 7. All five died at the scene, and the jaws of life were used to retrieve their bodies.

Passengers on the bus who sustained injuries were taken to hospital for treatment.

Transport MEC Xolile Nqatha visited Mgojo’s family at Mdantsane’s NU 3 near East London on Wednesday afternoon.

Family member Ndileka Mgojo said Mvuzo had been driving from Stutterheim after he had picked up his sons and his mother, Nombulelo.

“Nombulelo was at her maiden home in Stutterheim in preparation for the funeral of her family member when this accident [occurred]. She left Mdantsane on Friday and was planning to come back home on Sunday,” said Mgojo, who is Nombulelo’s sister-in-law.

Mgojo said they were battling to sleep in the wake of the deaths.

“We will always miss them. Nombulelo loved her children and grandchildren. Their death is still a shock to us,” she said.

READ | Two children among 5 people killed in head-on collision with bus carrying 60 passengers

Lindile Qambata said he was saddened by the death of his nephews.

“[Their] mother was in Pretoria, where she works, when the accident happened. She arrived on Tuesday and has been crying ever since her arrival. We are so devastated,” said Qambata.

Nqatha said an investigation into the accident was continuing.

“We would like to give that process a chance, even though it’s quite clear that speeding and a possible tyre burst could be the reason. We would want to give the RTMC (Road Traffic Management Corporation) time to investigate the accident.

“As government, we’re committing to work with the families to ensure that they are able to give their loved ones a decent send off,” Nqatha said.